Grading machine



W. H. AMES iNov. 24, 1931.

GRADING MACHINE .led Feb. 28, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 g. w k

Nov. 24, 1931. -w. H. AMES i GRADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 24, 1931. w. H. AMES 1,833,812

GRADING MACHINE v Filed Feb. 28, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 GRADER Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. AMES, OF MARK-ESAN, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 FOOD MACHINERY CORPORATION, 0F SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION or' DELAWARE GRADING MACHINE Application led February 28, 1927. Serial No. 171,574.

This invention refers to an improved machine for grading products of vegetatlve growth and is particularly adapted to the grading of peas and such small globular materials dur' g the process of canning, 1t also refers to nnew and improved method in the grading operation.

A particular :feature of the invention resides in the time the l grading is eifected relative to the other steps in the preparation of peas or like substances for canning purposes. The `operation of gradn in this instance'ls one for quality instead o one for size. '1 he regular grading operation for size is carrled out in the ordinary manner and usually follows the shelling or threshing of the peas. My invention contemplates an additional grading operation to improve the quality of the pack by segregating the tender peas from the hard overripe peas of the same or substantially the same graded size.

Every load of peas delivered to the Cannery from the field will contain peas of varying degrees of ripeness and of size. The ordinary grading machines are capable of quite effectively grading the peas as to size but nosure and eiiicient method has heretofore been available for then regrading the peas of a given size for quality, meaning by that, that the tender peas are separated from the over@ ripe and hard peas Awhere all are loi substantially the same graded size.

The mature and hard peas can seldom be detected and separated by hand picking and the fact thatjust a very few hard' and mature peas in a. can of supposed fancy peas will lower the grade from fancy to eXtra-standard or standard and, thus lower the price has created a desire for some method of grading the pack for quality as well as for size.

I have made the important discovery that after the peas are graded for size and passed through the blancher where they receive a thorough heating that the tender and most choice peas will oat while the hard and overripe peas will sink inl a properly prepared and maintained brine solution. It of course 'is `old in the art to grade peas for size and then blanch them, but never before, to my yknowledge has another grading operation been incorporated in the process after the blanching operation, which grading was for the sole vpurpose, of separating the tender peas from the f overripe peas in batches of the same graded size. Brine solutions have been used 1n attempts to separate the tender from the hard peas previous to blanching but without success; The trouble encountered in such attempts has been dueto the fact that the specific gravity of the hard peas is substantially the same as that of some of the tender peas which causes them to oat at the same levels and thus defeat separation. In some peas.I that have been graded for size the specific .gravity will be the same for the hard and the tender peas so that here also grading for` quality cannot be effected.

The blanching operation, which is in substance a short preliminary cook has the e'ect of filling the starchy or mature peas with water which immediately changes their specific gravity and causes them to Isinkiin a properly maintained brine solution, in fact this action is so rapid that when a quantity l of mixed peas as to quality are dumped into l7,5 the brine solution, the tender and choice peas i bob to the top and the hard water soaked peas sink immediately giving almost, instantaneous separation. 1

It is not always necessary to gradethe peas from the more mature and hard peas.

. wherein an added step'of grading is employed to improve the quality of the-canned product.

Itis also an object of my invention to provvide a machine for carrying out the method 'of separating peas for quality as well as for size.

'It is also an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for receiving a mass of treated peas and separate the tender from the 'l Overripe peas.

It is also an object of my invention to. provide an apparatus for recelvlng a mass ofpeas that have been graded for size and to regrade said mass for quality by separating the tender from the hard and overripe peas.

It is also-an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for grading peas wherein means are provided for automat-ically segregating the tender for the hard and overripe peas and other means from removing the separated masses from the apparatus.

With such objects in view as well as/other advantages inherent in the invention, consisting in the parts and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed, it is understood that the several necessary elements, parts and combinations constituting thevsame may be varied 1n their operative relation, proportion and placement without departing from the scope and nature of the invention, and in order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawings-means and'mechanism for placing the same in concrete form Without limiting the improvements in their application to the particular structure chosen to illustrate the invention.

Referringnow to the drawings a better and clearer understanding of the method and iapparatus for carrying out the same will be Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of the apparatus chosenv to illustrate the application of the method. Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a proposed line up of apparatus including theV device of the present application at the left of the assembly. This arrangement shows the relative positions of the several parts of equipment required Where grading, blanching and then regrading for quality is adopted. On some varieties of sweet peas the first grading step may be omitted and the peas graded only after blanching. t

Thev method part of'this invention contemplates subjecting a mass of peas or other product of vegetative growth to an added step in the process of preparation for canning. ThisA added step provides a grading operation in -a brine lsolution of suitable gravity for improving the final quality of the pack and is carried out after the mass of peas have been graded for size in the ordinary manner and passed through the blancher, which in substance is a preliminary cooking operation. By 'blanching the peas before grading for quality the ,hard overripe peas absorb suflicient water to increase their spe-` cific gravity and cause them to sink rapidly when placed in the brine solution, while theblanching of the tender peas does not materially affect their specific gravity so that they will float about the same after blanching as before.

The apparatus part of this invention comprises a machine adapted to carry out the described method and consists of a suitable hopper into which a suitable brine is placed and into which the mass'of vblanched peas are dumped. Two separate conveying means are provided, one arranged to serve the bottom of the brine tank and pick up-'the hard water soaked peas' that sinlc' and remove them for further treatment inthe process of canning, andthe other conveyor operating over the surface of the brine and adapted to skim/the surface and pickup the tender peas that float and remove them for further treatment.

The numeral 1 represents the hopper for holding the brine solution and for housingl the lower end of one of the conveyors. 2 indicates the point where the mass of peas are dumped into the hopper, which may be done by a suitable conveyor, not shown, or by hand operation with baskets. 3 indicates the conveyor for removing the peas that sink and is shown as extending down into the lowerpart of the hopper 1. The arrangement of the buckets on the conveyor 3 is such that they pass in close relation-with a deliected wall 4 of the hopper 1 and are thus enabled to pick up and remove all ofthe peas that sink. The Wall 5 of the hopper 1 is for the purpose of preventing the peas that float from coming into contact with the elevator 3, but assists in causing them tobe picked up by the buckets of the other conveyor. 6 indicates the conveyor or elevator for skimming the surface of the brine bath through the medium of the buckets 7 and thus picking' up the peas that float. This elevator moves in the direction of the arrow A, and as the buckets 7 reach the/top positions the peas are dumped on the conveyor belt 8 and moved to a suitable place of disposal or for further treatment.

The various moving elements receive motion from the drlve belt 9, cham 10, plnions 11 and 12, chain 13, chain 14 and bevel gears The buckets 7 are of comb construction to prevent as much as possible agitation of the surface of the brine solution as they pass the first grading operation in which case they are simply run through the blancher to change the character of those that are overmature so that they will readily separate from those that are of the desired quality when subjected to the action of the grading machine of the present application.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of treating peas for canning purposes consisting in subjecting a mixed mass of different size peas to a grading operationI that will separate the different sizes into separated groups, subjecting each group vto a blanching operation to change the specific gravity of the more mature peas of each group and then subjecting the blanched peasv toa grading operation in a suitable brine solution in which the more mature peas will sink and the tender ones float whereby they may be separated into separate groups. l

2. An apparatus for separating a mass of peas into groups according to quality comprising means for blanching a mass of peas of a previously graded size, means for then receiving said blanched mass comprising a solution of a predeterminedspecific gravity wherein said peas will separate into two groups according to theiil specific gravity, separate means for collecting each group and independently removing them from the said l solution.

l si.

.of a predetermined specific gravity wherein the peas of greater specific gravity will sink and the others float thus forming two distinct groups with means for then removing each group separately.

4. A method of treating peas for canning to produce a product of uniform size and quality, which consists in first grading the hard and soft peas to obtain a mixture of peas of uniform size, blanching said sized mixture to partially cook the same and render the peas sensitive to contact with a liquid, immersing the blanched uniform sized peas in a liquid bath to grade and separate the hard from the soft peas by their relative difference in specific gravity, and separately discharging the hard and soft peas whereby a blanched mixture of soft fancy grade peas kof uniform size and quality is obtained.

5. The method of treating peas or like materials for canning purposes consisting in subjecting a mass of peas to a blanching operation to change the specific gravity of a part of the mass, then subjecting the mass of blanched peas to a grading operation in a suitable solution wherein those peas that have had their specific gravity changed byv the blanching step will sink and the tender soft skinned peas will float whereby the original mass may be removed as separate groups.

6. An apparatus for separating a mass of peas into groups of hard and soft peas cornprising means for blanching the mass of peas, means for then receiving the mass of blanched peas comprising a solution of a predetermined specific gravity wherein said peas will separate into two groups according to their speciic gravity, the heavier ones sinking and the lighter ones floating, separate means for collecting each group and independently removing them from the solution.

7. An apparatus for grading a mass of peas for quality and separating the soft from the hard peas comprising means for subjecting a vmass. of peas to a blanching treatment to 1n'- crease the specific gravity of the riper and harder peas of the mass, then directing the treated mass to anotherv means comprising a suitable solution in a tank wherein the peas are dumped promiscuously and immediately separate into groups according to their specific gravity, the heavier ones sinking and the harder ones floating, an endless elevator positioned in the tank and adapted to collect the sinkers and remove, them, another endless Aelevator arranged over the said tank and adapted to collect the loaters and remove them, a division wall in said tank separate from the walls of the tank for separating the said elevators so that the separated peas will npt become mixed during theremoval thereo 8. The'method of treating peas or the like material for canning purposes consisting in' subjecting a mass of peas to a blanching operation to change the specific` gravity between the young and 'more mature-peas, then subjecting the mass of blanched peas to a grading operation in a suitable solution wherein the heavier peas will sink and the lighter ones float whereby the original mass may be removed as separate groups.

9. An apparatus for separating a n iaYssao'it/lf30 peas'into groups of hard and soft peas comprising means for blanching the mass of peas, means for then receiving the mass of blanohed peas comprising a solution of a predetermined specific gravity wherein said peas will separate into groups according to their specii gravity, the heavier ones sinking and thelighter ones floating, whereby-the original mass may be removed in separate groups. y

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

I WILLIAM H. AMES/ 

